Those First Few Days
by Yanagi-sen
Summary: Just entering char info, nothing new. What happened to Schwarz those first few days after the failed summoning ceremony?


Those First Few Days

Those First Few Days 

by Yanagi-sen

Weiss Kreuz fanfic

Usual disclaimers apply.Don't own them.Don't own much of anything actually.Takes place at the end of the series.You know, the really crappy ending where the whole building falls apart and they (the writers) don't tell you anything.Well here's one version of what might have happened.

Warnings: language, maybe some sap, not much else (ducks the flying pocky from the disgruntled muse on top of the monitor)

_'mental speech'_

/character thoughts/

"It's failed.Weiss has won."

"Who the Hell cares!The place is fucking, falling apart!"

"Into the water.Nagi, you are responsible for getting us out.There will be an opening under the water for two minutes."The American turned and jumped in.Schuldich grabbed Farfarello and leapt after him.Nagi sighed and stepped off the crumbling floor.So much for Esset ruling the world.

He gasped at the chill.The others tread water nearby.He took a deep breath and then 'pushed'.It started as a small bubble around him.It grew rapidly, extending to surround all of them.Within seconds, Schwarz was encased in an air-filled sphere.Hands clenched, already sweating, Nagi lowered them beneath the surface.

"Quickly, the passage will collapse in a little over a minute."

Nagi didn't bother to respond.Visibly trembling with the strain, he grit his teeth and forced himself to hold back the icy seawater.His head was well beyond aching, it felt like Farf had stabbed him with that poniard of his.He tried to remember to breathe.It was getting close to the point where he wouldn't be able to hold it any more, when the passage opened up and they were free of the collapsing museum.

Gasping, sweat pouring down his face; Nagi bit back his near instinctive whimper.He knew there was no way he could get them to the shore.He stopped moving toward the beach and concentrated on the surface.

"I… I can't hold it much longer."He managed to whisper through clenched teeth.

"Great, now we got to swim."

"Everyone take a breath."

As soon as they did, Nagi dropped the shield.He nearly lost his lungful of air as the freezing water hit his overheated body.He could see everyone heading for the surface.Nagi started to strike out after them, and realized, he had no strength at all.He fought to get to the air… but he had nothing left.At least the others would make it.With a mental sigh of regret, Nagi quit struggling and let the sea claim him.

Schuldich was a little behind Crawford and Farfarello as they swam for the surface.Damn that Weiss… he hated swimming in cold water.He supposed it could be worse.They could be dead instead of half-frozen.Wait… There was Bradley and Farf… where was the chibi?He spun, but the boy wasn't behind him.Schu looked back down.There was Nagi, he was faltering.Even without reading his mind, Schu could tell the moment when the boy just gave up.His pale face was turned up toward the surface and the sky above, his midnight eyes whispering goodbye, and then closing.The German considered for the barest of moments, leaving the boy to his fate.

_'Crawford.Nagi needs help.I'm going for him.'_

_'Understood.'_

__It only took a few seconds to dive back down and catch hold of the sinking boy._'Kid?'_There was no response.He wrapped an arm around the slight chest and once more headed for the surface.

Schu spit out a mouthful of seawater and waded up onto the sand.Nagi was limp in his arms.The redhead dropped to his knees, just past the surf line and laid the boy's unresponsive body out.He tilted the kid's head and checked for breathing and pulse.There was a faint fluttering under his fingers, but no breath.He started mouth-to-mouth as Crawford and Farf stumbled up to them.

"How is he?"

_'Weak pulse and he's not breathing.'_

"Do you need help?  
_'I've got it.'_

With a cough, Nagi's lungs expelled their volume of water.Schu turned him on his side and rubbed his back."Take it easy, chibi, you've had a busy day."

"I'll get the car.Farf, stay with them."

"We'll meet you up on the road."

Nagi groaned.His head was pounding.It was too bright.He very tentatively tried to move, his body was totally unresponsive.Where was he anyway?What happened?Squinting against the bright sunlight, he tried to look around, but his head was too heavy.

"Yer awake."

With great effort, Nagi managed to get his head to turn toward the voice.One golden eye peered intently at him."Hey, Farf."What was wrong with his voice?

The Irishman cocked his head."Ye sound funny."

"Aa."His eyelids felt like they weighed a ton.Nagi blinked, trying to stay awake.He needed to know…

"Go back t'sleep, Nagi."

"Schu… and Brad…"

"They're okay."

"It's bright."

The light was suddenly cut off.A hand, cool and scarred; ruffled his hair and then rested on his forehead."Go raibh míle maith agat, Nagi.Ye saved our lives."

Everything went dark.

"He woke up."

Crawford glanced up from his specially delivered copy of the New York Times.

"How is he?"Schu asked from where he was standing, waiting for the coffee machine to finish.

Farfarello shrugged and started pulling stuff out of the fridge."I told him to go back to sleep."

"Do not plug in that blender unless you intend to actually make something edible."Crawford took the cup of coffee from Schu without even looking.Farf pouted, but put back the leftover Chinese, the tomatoes, and the goat-milk cheese.He started to rummage in the freezer.

"Say, Braddy?"

"Don't call me that."

"Fine.Crawford.What are we gonna do now?I mean, it's not as if Esset is going to want anything to do with us."

" 'Cept maybe our heads."Farf was removing the tops from a pint of strawberries.

"There is **that**, my psychotic friend."

Crawford folded his newspaper and steepled his fingers looking over them at his subordinates.What would they do now?Esset would be sending operatives after them, once they got organized again.They would have a week, maybe two, before they would have to start watching their every move.Perhaps, Schwarz should just disband.If they split up it would be more difficult to find them.He looked at the two young men who watched him, waited for him to answer, looked to him for guidance.He thought of the boy lying upstairs."I'll be in my office."

Schuldich watched him leave.He sighed and leaned back, watching as Farf tossed strawberries and other ingredients into the blender and turned it on."What you making?"

"Strawberry milkshake, want some?"

"I got my coffee.Save some for Nagi though."

/Now what? /Crawford sat at his desk, pushing paperwork around, but getting nothing done./What should we do?I've got connections. Resources.But what about the others?Farf obviously cannot function on his own.Left to himself, he will be in an asylum for the criminally insane.He needs care, not to be treated like an animal.Farf is fine, with medication and guidance. /

/Schuldich also can't make it on his own.He is too erratic, to unfocused.He's tough, but he couldn't be subtle to save his life, and that was just what it might take.He is fundamentally incapable of blending in anywhere.He would be back in Esset's hands within a month.And even if he did elude them, what could he do?He would most likely end up back out on the street, strung out on drugs and whoring.Again, he functions fine, with supervision. /

/And Nagi.Of the three of them, he is probably the only one capable of surviving alone.He has before after all.He is certainly the most mature of the group, the most levelheaded and calm.He is intelligent, frightfully so, and he is the only one who has any real skills.But, he **is** only fifteen, with a very limited view of how the 'real' world works.He could survive, but I had hoped for something better for him than just survival. /

He had to face the facts.Schwarz had ceased to be just the people he worked with.They'd become his family.And Brad wasn't willing to give that up.

"Nagi?"

"Hmm?"Midnight blue eyes opened just enough to see who was there.

"I made a milkshake, do you want some?"

Nagi gave Farf a sleepy smile."Brad wouldn't let you play, huh?"

The Irishman shook his head as he helped Nagi sit up."Níl."The boy gave a little chuckle at the pouting man's expression."So, do ye want some or not?"

"I guess… a little."Nagi took a few sips, more to please Farf than because he wanted any.But he found the sweet, cool liquid, soothing to his still raw throat.He finished half the glass before setting the rest aside.

Farf frowned."Ye don want the rest?"

"Iie."He could feel his eyes drooping again.

"Can I finish it?"

"Sure, Farf… go ahead."

The Irishman watched as Nagi fell asleep again.His face was flush and breath slightly raspy.He brushed chocolate colored bangs from the boy's face.The skin was warm to the touch.He frowned again._'Schu?'_The German was good at picking up his own name, and there weren't many other minds around to create interference.

_'Ja?'_

_'Can ye come check Nagi?'_

_'What's up?'_

_'I think he's sick.'_

"Braddy, we have a problem."

"I've told you, repeatedly, **not** to call me that.What's wrong?"

"Nagi's fever is getting worse, and his breathing is rough."

Crawford sighed.He'd been afraid of this.The kid had always been a little frail, and with the combination of exhaustion, the freezing water, and nearly drowning; his immune system was overwhelmed.He shook his head and looked at the redhead."There isn't much more we can do for him."

"Cut the cold bastard crap!He needs a doctor!"

"And where do you suggest we take him?We can't go to any emergency room.I don't have legal guardianship.Social Services would be all over us.Three gaijin and an underage Japanese boy.How long do you think it would be before they took him?I don't think I need to tell you what would happen if we took him to an Esset facility."

"Ficken!"

"He'll have to do this on his own."

"Damn you!He saved our lives and nearly died in the process and you're just going to give up?!"

"Schuldich…"

_'Go to Hell!'_The office door slammed behind the irate German.

Crawford set his glasses on the table and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.Nagi would understand.Nagi would accept that there was nothing that could be done at this time.Nagi wouldn't blame Crawford for the decision he was making.But Nagi was the one who was ill, possibly fatally, and it wasn't him Crawford had to deal with.It was Schuldich.All the clichés about redheads held true for him.To top it off… he would have to be a Scorpio.And a difficult one at that.

/This was supposed to have been the dawning of a new age.So why is everything falling apart? /

Crawford stood over the bed and its fragile occupant.It had been a couple days, and Nagi wasn't improving.He wasn't getting any worse, but the American knew it would only be a matter of time before the boy's stressed body couldn't fight back any more.He sat down and dipped the cloth Schu had left in the basin of cool water.Wringing it out, so it wouldn't drip down and wet the pillow, he placed it on the boy's forehead.The back of his hand stroked the too thin cheek in a tender gesture.Six years Nagi'd been with them, and though he had grown, he still appeared as fragile as the day he'd found the kid, starving and beaten and alone on the streets of Tokyo.Nagi turned slightly into the touch and Brad smiled.He may never voice it, or even admit it, but the young telepath needed reassurance at times.Midnight eyes opened, and turned languidly toward him.

"Aniki…"It was barely a whisper, if Crawford hadn't been leaning over to check Nagi's eyes, he never would have heard it.

"Nagi."The eyes slid shut again, and Brad wasn't sure he had even heard him.But there was that barest trace of a smile on the boy's face.

Crawford was caught in a moral dilemma.He knew what he **should** do.But that wasn't necessarily what he wanted to do.What had Schu told him that one time, after that whole disaster with Nikolai?_"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to.I **know you're an ass.Nagi however still looks up to you for some reason."**_

"If he's not better today, I'm taking him to a doctor."

"But Brad said…"

"Braddy can go fuck himself.I'm not letting Nagi suffer for Crawfish being a bastard."

"That won't be necessary, Schuldich."

"Oh?Have we decided to be a decent human being for a change?"

"Don't be insulting.I have one of Esset's doctors coming over."

"A house-call?But won't he just turn us in?"

"No."

"No?"

"Who said anything about letting him leave.As soon as we're done with him, you two can play."

"Nice to see you're back to your evil, bastardy self.I thought for a moment you had slipped there."

"Do you go out of your way to be annoying or does it just come naturally?How's Nagi?"

"Better, he's asking for you."

"And how is our good doctor?"

Schu shrugged."Farf's playing."

"As long as he's happy.And make sure he doesn't leave a mess."Crawford knocked lightly on Nagi's door.

"Come in."

The boy was sitting up in bed.He was still pale, but his eyes were clear of the feverish gleam that had been there for the last several days.

"Hey."

"Hey."Brad entered and sat on the edge of the bed.Acting on impulse, he reached out and brushed a few bangs form the boy's face.Nagi gave him a small, tired smile."Schu told you what happened?"

"Aa.But why did you get a doctor to come?You never did before."

"True.But I have plans for Schwarz.You're a part of that.Schwarz needs you.Rest up.When you feel up to it, I have some computer work for you to go.We need to start thinking of our future."He got up and started to leave.

"Brad?"

"Hai?"

"I love you too."

-sin sin, tis done-

This is probably the nicest I will ever write Crawford.For everyone who is waiting for the next part in the Schu/Youji songfic arc (including you, Aoe), gomen nasai.I got distracted by this one, but it's coming, I promise.^_^


End file.
